Shhh…I’m supposed to be unpacking right now. Don’t tell anyone you saw me here!!
Last week turned into blender week. My Vitamix was one of the only kitchen things I refused to pack in a box. For the record, I moved it very carefully in my clutched, loving embrace! Before packing up the kitchen, I made a double batch of this soup so I had some healthy food ready for quick meals. I’ve been relying a bit too much on prepared foods lately. Once we’re moved in and settled I’m going to get back to more home cooked meals. One thing at a time, I suppose!
To energize myself during the endless packing sessions I threw together this chocolate chia pudding. Ok, ok, I made it 4 times in the span of 6 days. I love this stuff. It only requires a few ingredients and it satisfies all those creamy chocolate cravings in a healthy way sweetened only with dates. This pudding reminds me of chocolate cake batter – creamy, chocolaty, with a hint of vanilla. Not only is it tasty, but it’s packed with over 10 grams of fibre and 7 grams of protein per serving, as well as loads of iron, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids. Now we’re talking!
Chia pudding is great and all, but the hardest part is waiting for it to chill and set, don’t you think?
Thanks to my chocolate impatience, I came up with a method that gets around this pesky waiting time using almond milk ice cubes. I’ve used coffee ice cubes in smoothies in the past (very tasty) and I thought, why not use almond milk ice cubes in this pudding so I can enjoy it instantly? Yes!
Of course, you do have to plan ahead and freeze the ice cubes in advance (hence the name “almost instant”), but if you keep a tray of almond milk ice cubes in the freezer you’ll be set for any chia pudding craving in the future. If you are like me last week, one tray of ice cubes will set you up for a whole week…ha. I’ll be keeping a tray of almond milk ice cubes in the freezer at all times now. Mark my words!
{Almost} Instant Chocolate Chia Pudding
Yield
1.5-2 cups (serves 2)
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Chill time
8 hours
Total time
This chocolate chia pudding is decadent-tasting yet healthy at the same time. Packed with protein, fibre, and omega-3 fatty acids this is a pudding you can feel good about! When blended with the almond milk ice cubes it's a treat you can enjoy immediately without waiting for it to chill. The texture is a cross between a smoothie and a pudding. It will thicken up even more if you put it in the fridge for a few hours. I recommend using a high-speed blender for best results since the dates, chia seeds, and ice cubes are challenging to blend super smooth. Adapted from my healthy chocolate chia pudding.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 4 large almond milk ice cubes (see note)
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 5-6 pitted Medjool dates, to taste
- 2-3.5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (see note)
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, to taste
- pinch fine grain sea salt or pink Himalayan sea salt
Directions
- Fill an ice cube tray with almond milk. Freeze until solid. You can use leftovers in smoothies or for more pudding in the future!
- To make the pudding: Add 3/4 cup almond milk into a high speed blender. Now add the rest of the ingredients, including the almond milk ice cubes.
- Blend on the highest speed until super smooth. Enjoy immediately or chill in the fridge where it will thicken up even more.
Tip:
Add the cocoa powder to taste. Some brands will be more pungent than others. 3.5 tablespoons of cocoa powder is great with my brand (camino) however you may need to use less depending on what kind you use. My advice is to add the cocoa powder slowly to taste.
You will want around 12 tablespoons of almond milk ice cubes added to the pudding. For my tray, this equaled 4 large cubes.
You can skip the almond milk ice cubes and simply add a splash more almond milk. Chill in the fridge the old-fashioned way.
If your dates are firm, I suggest soaking them in hot water for at least 30 minutes before you begin. Drain well.
To turn this into a chocolate "frosty" add more ice cubes to make it super icy.
To make this nut-free, use a nut-free non-dairy milk of your choice.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
New Oh She Glows Cookbook reviews and giveaways to share:
Joann @ Woman in Real Life (review, recipe)
Louise @ Life Is Good (review)
Mandy @ Mandy’s Healthy Life (review)
Monique @ We R Addicted (review)
Karissa @ Vegan a la Mode (review)
Liz @ The Sixth Letter (review)
Nikki @ Tolerant Vegan (review + giveaway)
Erin @ Olives for Dinner (review, recipe, giveaway)
Alexis @ Hummusapien (review)
Emily @ Puppies and Peanut Butter (review)
Marleah @ Marleah (review)
The Oh She Glows Cookbook hits Target
I have another fun retailer announcement to let you know about. The OSG Cookbook hits shelves across US Target stores today! You can find it on their website too. Don’t forget, it’s already in Target stores in Canada too. Be sure to share your recipe creations & book pictures on social media using the hashtag #osgcookbook. Bon Appétit!
Love this recipe. Love that it doesn’t use tofu.
Just made 2 variations. The first using carob powder.
The 2nd to make a coconut pudding
Coconut milk
Coconut milk ice cubes
Shredded coconut instead of cacao powder
Coconut extract instead of vanilla
Super yummy :-)
I want to try a banana version & a strawberry version using frozen fruit instead of the ice cubes :-)
Hubby doesn’t like the textire of chia seeds but in this pudding
the texture is just amazing even for him :-)
I just made this with coconut milk and it was great! Thanks for the great recipe!
Hello Angela,
The pudding looks very delicious. I love both chia seeds and cocoa. This is definitely going to be my next raw dessert to try out.
Hi–the flavors were great (and I am loving the new cookbook that I just bought), but I have a question about texture. Is it supposed to be crunchy? The seeds are all whole and the texture is a little off-putting…
Hi!
I love your site, it’s my go to ‘what should we eat today’ site.
I made this pudding today but my chia seeds are still whole or not broken up much at all, is this because my blender sucks or my chia seeds suck? Or some other crazy reason?
Thanks!!
Amazing! Love love loved it!
Delicious and easy! I added some carob powder and it made for a nice rich flavor. Thank you!
This tastes fantastic. I had no dates so I added a tablespoon of honey (I’m not a vegan but I guess maple syrup would work perfectly too), also no frozen almond milk so I added some water ice cubes. Still amazing. :) My chocolate craving has been taken care of without a trace of guilt.
Mine came out super gritty. Is it supposed to be gritty because of the chia seeds. This is my first time using chia seeds so I didn’t know what to expect. I kinda thought they would completely dissolve. Oh well, the flavor is good.
Oh ya, some blenders aren’t able to blend the chia seeds good enough. I recommend using a high speed blender (such as vitamix) or letting it run for a while if it is still gritty.
Hi, are you soaking the chia seeds before they go in or using them un-soaked ?
Thanks,
C
My kids loved this pudding, thank you!
I tried it and it’s amazing! Was able to enjoy it fully; since it was healthy! I didn’t want to wait for the ice cubes so I just did it without. I also only had hazelnut milk so used that instead. Topped with sliced strawberries and OMG!!! SO GOOD! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Question, do you think a regular blender would also result in a creamy pudding? I’ve made chia pudding before but left the seeds whole. My 12yo loves it but 3yo won’t touch it ;) I plan on trying over this weekend.
Question, do you think a regular blender would also result in a creamy pudding? I’ve made chia pudding before but left the seeds whole. My 12yo loves it but 3yo won’t touch it ;) I plan on trying over this weekend.
Making this today! can`t wait :) i was wondering if i could substitute flax seeds for chia seeds?
Would this work with cacao powder as well?
I love chocolate pudding and have been looking for a healthy version, and this just might be it! I do have a question about the cocoa powder.. can I use raw cacao powder or is cocoa powder different? I’m looking forward to making this soon! How long do you think this will last in the frig? Thanks!
After becoming a whole-food vegan last March this was the recipe that told me I would never have to go back! Instead of the ice cubes, I simply up the almond milk to one cup, throw everything in the Vitamin and blend until it starts to steam. Usually we just eat it right away and it reminds me of the stove-top chocolate pudding my Mm made when I was a kid. So rich and creamy, and full of protein to boot! Thank you so very much. I have shared this with a ton of people!!
I am typing this as I eat this pudding… This is absolutely fantastic! A friend and I decided to give up processed sugar for the year (we only use fruit or dried dates for sweets) and this is absolutely perfect in supporting or quest to dump the sugar! Thanks!
Wonderful and simple. My go-to treat when I am craving chocolate. Thanks!
Could this be stored in the fridge overnight? I would love to try this for breakfast sometime but I get up before my entire family and wouldn’t want to wake with super loud blender noises…
I think it should be fine overnight :)
I am looking forward to trying this. I have been on a chocolate kick lately!
What should be the total amount of almond milk (liquid and ice combined)? 1 cup or 1-1/2 cups? I guess the ice cube estimate is confusing me because I have a standard sized ice cube tray and the volume of each cube is 1 TBSP… I’m having a hard time picturing an ice cube that has a volume or 3+ TBSP. Confusion aside, looks like a fantastic idea and I can’t wait to try it.
Oh my dear lord. I am licking the blender blade clean as I type.
This is delicious! I like how it gets rid of the traditional chia pudding texture. I subbed a frozen banana for the ice cubes and just decreased the number of dates.
hmmm just made this for breakfast. had too much of an overpowering cocoa taste, with just the two tablespoons. guess i gotta scale it back and try again. also, the dates refused to blend successfully. a weak blender do you think?
Delicious. This recipe is really yummy and super easy to make. I froze the ice cubes overnight and made it the next day. It’s really nice with some organic shredded coconut on top and a sprinkle of almond and walnuts.
Eating this now. I too have a Vitamix. Not many blenders would be able to pull this off. I approximated 6 dates from my ‘Date Brick’. This is unbelievably good.
Thanks
I love all of the recipes on your website and am so thankful….but NOT THIS ONE. I love normal chia seed pudding but there was something about it being blended that turned it into a hideously healthy tasting mixture and I had to throw out. It looked amazing and tasted like it had cod liver oil in it. Bummer. Please do keep up the good work with all your other recipes!
Just made this (with regular milk & cream) and it tastes wonderful. I only had already ground chia, so I cut back a little. Hoping it sets, but if it doesn’t, I’ll blitz it with ice and we’ll drink it. Thanks for sharing.
The BEST chia pudding I’ve ever made… And I’ve made quite a few! Love your cookbook and your blog! You’ve become part of our family!! Thank you so much!!
I added cacao instead of cocoa powder!
HI Angela! I love this recipe. I tried it this morning and it totally hit the spot! I do have some questions though: is okay to decrease the amount of chia seeds? Would it still be the same thickness if I just refrigerated it longer? And also, I used a magic bullet to blend the pudding but I could still see specks of seeds jn there. It wasn’t smooth like pudding should be. Is that how your pudding is like? Thanks so much Angela!!
Hi there! I know I’m a little late to the party- but just whipped this up and hoping the husband won’t notice it’s a healthy pud! I have a blender that is quite powerful, but I could not get the chia to breakdown. Any ideas??
Thanks!
-Laura
Hi Laura – I’m late to the party too – I wrote my comment below and then saw yours. I ground my chia seeds finely – almost to a powder – in my magic bullet (which I also use as my coffee grinder because it’s so easy to clean and has more uses than a dedicated coffee/spice grinder) before blending the whole thing in my Blendtec. Worked beautifully.
Now I’m thinking hemp hearts…think ground flax would stay gritty but I’ll try it. Soaking the dates in almond milk ahead also helps make sure it all pulls together.
I am making this tonight for my friends who are visiting. I have dried dates, I hope these will work in the recipe OK. I’m going to soak them beforehand before I blend them up.
Hello Angela and everyone!
Writing from Spain…my experience with this pudding was great! I forgot it in the freezer, because I wanted it to be cold and to my surprise it turned out to be a great chocolate icecream! Thank you so much for all the things you share with us. XXXOOO
Thanks Angela for all the hard work you put in to make the recipes perfect. You are the only person whose recipe tastes are the exact same as mine. Anything I make of yours we love. And this chocolate chia pudding recipe we REALLY REALLY LOVE, though I don’t add the almond milk ice cubes. I also like to make a chocolate pudding pie with pecans with this recipe (I stole the idea from Trader Joes), Yummy!!!
I decided to grind the chia seeds finely before adding them so I didn’t need to worry about how well they’d blend or if they’d take away from the smoothness once the whole mixture was thrown together. Worked really well. Love this recipe.
hi there! I am about to make this recipe, but I have a question. I read somewhere something about how Chia seeds don’t have the same health value if they are not soaked first. This recipe calls for the dry seeds to be blended with everything else correct? Or are these seed soaked and “gelled” first?
are the Chia seeds soaked first? I had read once that unless they are soaked into their gel form they’re not as healthy. The recipe makes it seem like they’re the dried version but it’s unclear. Would love to know.
Hi Rachel, This recipe uses the chia seeds dry. But, if you’d prefer a pudding that uses soaked chia seeds, the recipe this one is adapted from – my Healthy Chocolate Chia Pudding – is a great option! Hope this helps. :)
Can you substitute prunes for the dates? I’ve made it with the dates, but I have a huge bag of prunes that need used! Thanks!
I’m not vegan (but eat plenty of vegan meals) and usually use soy or cow’s milk, do you think this recipe will work with either?
Hey Maria, I can’t see why not! If you give it a try, I hope you enjoy :)
I love all of the recipes on your website and am so thankful….but NOT THIS ONE. I love normal chia seed pudding but there was something about it being blended that turned it into a hideously healthy tasting mixture and I had to throw out. It looked amazing and tasted like it had cod liver oil in it. Bummer. Please do keep up the good work with all your other recipes!
Just made this tonight, and it was absolutely delicious! Will definitely be making this again. I have a vitamix blender so it does the job of grinding up the chia seeds and dates perfectly smooth. Sooooo good! By the way, I accidentally bought your Oh She Glows cookbook about a month ago not knowing it was vegan and I have to say I absolutely love your recipes. I am not vegan at this time, but I think I am moving in that direction. Vegan recipes have so much more flavour and are so much more fun to prepare. I was in a hurry and rushing when I bought the book and just grabbed it because the recipes looked so good. It has not let me down!
Sounds like it was a happy accident, then! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the cookbook. :)
I loved this pudding.. as do my teens, believe it or not. Avoiding sugars is a tough one.. but this pudding hits the “sweet spot”!
I tried a variation by doubling my kids GO-TO breakfast shake: 1 c. dark choc. almond milk, 1 ripe banana, 1/5th of a ripe avocado, some ice & 1 tbsp pumpkin protein powder (+ 1 tbsp maple syrup to sweeten, if desired). They drink the shake in the a.m., then I blend the other half with the chia seeds & it makes a luscious, velvety pudding, with loads of protein & only natural sugars. Chia chocolate pudding is a home run in our home.. every time!
Thanks for sharing your delicious shake and pudding variations….sounds so good! I’ll have to try it soon.
My whole family loves this chocolate chia pudding! It’s sooo amazingly good! I grind the chia seeds in my coffee grinder first because my blender will not break the seeds. Sometimes add a tblsp of maple syrup or extra dates to make it sweeter if i am really wanting a sweet fix
Hey Hilary, Oh I LOVE that coffee grinder tip! Absolutely genius. I have to try this myself sometime. It sounds like a great option for those without powerful blenders. :) I’m glad to hear that your whole family loves it to…so does ours. :)
Yum yum yum, now when my 2 year old asks for dessert i am happy to be giving him something nutritious.
I did change it a smidge to add in 2 tbl each of cashew butter and hemp seeds, 2 less dates but a splash of maple syrup.
Got my next, double, batch set up ready to blend tommorow. I’m thinking ice pops in the freezer.